First Campout of the Year: Hillsdale Adventures

Oliver in front of Our Tent

We went to Hillsdale, KS, for our first camping trip and had a great time. We left Friday evening after work on May 9 and returned home on May 11. We brought Oliver along for the adventure. We had scouted Hillsdale State Park a few weeks prior and decided to give it a try. It turned out to be a wonderful spot for us to camp and spend the weekend.

Sunset at Our Camp Site

We arrived at our campsite in the early evening and took a little while to get everything set up. The site was different from others we’ve used before, as we had to park and walk to our campsite. Luckily, Erin and Greg had their wagon, which made it easier to haul our gear. We were a bit concerned since all the spots in the area had been reserved for the weekend, but it worked out well. We were spread out from others, which meant Oliver only had one or two nearby dogs to worry about.

Lights at Night

After setting up, we had a late dinner. Greg had made burgers and hot dogs at home earlier that day. He wrapped the burgers in foil, and we had them around 8 or 8:30 that night—delicious! We had a fire going and stayed up late enjoying the evening around it.

Saturday was a lazy day, which was nice. We had cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Most of the day was spent lounging, reading, listening to music, and taking a few naps. We took Oliver on a few walks around the site, which of course got the other dogs—and Oliver—barking and protecting their space. We also walked up to the camp host site to get ice and firewood, which was a nice little stroll.

Hanging with Oliver

We enjoy listening to Royals games while camping and brought a real radio to tune in. We spent Saturday afternoon listening to the game. That night, Erin and Carrie made shrimp scampi with pasta, and Carrie added some shredded chicken we had picked up earlier in the week. It was a great meal to enjoy before another relaxing evening around the fire with music.

Our Hammock Set up

On Sunday, a few of us got up early. No one was really eager to pack up and head home. Eventually, we started gathering our things and hauling them back to the cars. Carrie ranks this site as one of her top favorites. It was a wonderful experience at a new location, and she’s already hoping to return later this year.

We arrived back home Sunday afternoon, and both Carrie and I slept most of the day and went to bed early that evening. Sitting around and doing nothing sure makes me tired! I think Oliver is still catching up on his sleep a week later.

Oliver in Wagon

It was a fun weekend and a great start to our camping adventures for the year. I was so tired on Sunday that I didn’t make a post, and with a busy week in the evenings, I didn’t get anything posted until now. This is the first time I’ve missed a Sunday post in a few years.

Have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week!

Love, Lawn, and Long Balls: Our Wild Weekend

Carrie and me at Wedding Reception

Carrie and I attended a wedding reception a few weeks ago. The picture to the left is a selfie we took at the reception. We had a great time celebrating and did a lot of dancing too. It was a good party at a cool spot just outside of Topeka. I had never been to or heard of The Brownstone. It's a great spot for a party, and we all had a fantastic time.

Today has been a combination of exercise and getting some things done around the house. This morning at 11 am, I did my weekly bike ride on the Peloton with Ally Love. Following my bike ride, I took Oliver on a mile walk, which is one of his longer walks in a while. He was so excited! I told Carrie I am going to try and take Oliver on a walk following each time I do a bike ride. After the walk with Oliver, I mowed the backyard and did some picking up in the front and back by blowing things off the driveway and back patio. The main reason for doing so is to prevent Oliver from tracking oak tree debris into the house. Finally, after mowing, I took our glass that had been overflowing for a while to the recycling area.

It is beautiful out today, so after I finished my tasks, I told Carrie I was surprised she was not sitting out in the hammock. The next thing I knew, Carrie was headed out to the hammock with Oliver. Meanwhile, I am inside watching the Royals hit a home run franchise record. We are up 11-6 in the bottom of the 9th against the Orioles. Both sides have been hitting a lot of home runs, but in the last inning, the Royals set a franchise record for the most homers in a game.

New Work Picture

About a week ago I had a new profile picture taken for work. I had been using the same picture for I am not sure how long. I am presenting at a conference in May, so I needed to provide a higher resolution picture which prompted me to reach out to our campus photographer who took about two dozen pictures of me. In the end, I picked the one to the right. 

Old Profile Picture

To compare, my old profile picture is to the left. It was also taken by our campus photographer, but it was probably over ten years ago. I really do not recall. I know when I would do virtual meetings with people that had not seen me in a while, they would comment on my old picture that I looked young. So, the new picture to the right is a better reflection of how I look today.

Another somewhat rambling post on this Sunday afternoon. I am happy to report that the Royals won 11 - 6 and won the series against the Orioles.  For me, I am headed outside to enjoy the weather. Have a great rest of your Sunday and a fantastic week!